Pilot Emerges, Greets Officers Calmly
Newly released bodycam footage from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office shows Marine Corps Maj. Jackson Simon walking along a road shortly after his F/A-18 Hornet crashed into the side of Mount Rainier near Rimrock Lake, Washington, on June 13. Simon, his face blood-streaked, greeted the deputies with a casual "Hey, sir, how are you?" Before adding, in a later exchange, that he was "a little frazzled."
The encounter, captured on the officer's body camera, has drawn attention to the pilot's composed demeanor, which former TOPGUN instructor Matthew "Whiz" Buckley attributed to a combination of shock, adrenaline letdown, and training to compartmentalize under pressure. "If anything's going wrong, we focus on the task. Everything else goes away," Buckley told Fox News Digital. "That was the most violent thing that ever happened to that Marine in his entire life."
The Ejection and the Crash
Simon ejected from his F/-18, which, according to CBS News, had been circling the lake in low-level maneuvers and was reportedly seen by lakeside spectators. The immediate cause of the crash remains under investigation. Witnesses described the aircraft clipping power lines before going down, but the Marine Corps has not yet confirmed that the jet hit the lines, stating only that it was a "non-fatal aviation mishap" in a statement to Fox News and declining to confirm to Military Times whether the crash had caused the fire.
The crash itself sparked a brush fire that spread across two acres, as reported by CBS News. Bodycam footage also recorded an officer narrating, "We got the hillside on fire where the jet landed." The incident prompted a 911 call at 12:18 p.m. local time from onlookers who watched the ejection.
Expert Analysis on Ejection Risks
Buckley, who flew F-18 Hornets during his 15-year Navy career and never ejected, described the physical violence of the maneveuer. Drawing on a meta-analysis of 1,710 military aircrew ejections, published between 1971 and 2019, he noted a pooled mortality rate of 10.5% and a 29.8% chance of major injuries. He explained that spinal compression, seat slap, and arm injuries caused by wind blast are common outcomes.
"When you pull that handle, you have two choices: live or maybe live," said Buckley. He emphasized that Simon's survival, despite the danger, was a demonstration of the ejection system's capability, though the force involved can leave pilots with lasting physical and psychological effects.
Investigation and Potential Consequences
While the Marine Corps has launched an investigation, Buckley speculated about possible causes, mentioning minimum altitude restrictions for low-level training flights. He noted that the pilot might face a review board to evaluate his actions; such boards can result in a range of outcomes, from loss of "wings" to more unusual disciplinary labels.
The F-18 involved is valued at $60-65 million, as reported by Fox News Digital. The crash adds to a series of military aviation mishaps in recent months, including an F-35B crash from the same unit and other incidents, as catalogued by Task & Purpose.
In the aftermath, Simon was seen on bodycam footage making a phone call, saying, "Hey, buddy, this is Major Simon, I just crashed." His calm presence and the footage have fueled public discussion, but authorities have withheld details on the official cause pending the inquiry.